03/01,

FSM 369 CM/FM

Dear Family,

GBY! Some of you may want to share this FSM with friends, and if they understand the Word behind our position in regards to the plight of the Palestinian people, it would be fine to do so. But if they do not know the background in the Scriptures, Letters, and messages the Lord has given that explain how He sees the situation, some may not understand why we have taken such a pro-Palestinian stance. The mainstream media is often very pro-Israel, and many people have heard only one side of the story.

Dad himself was very pro-Jewish in the early days of the Family; that was the way he had been taught in church from his youth. He explained how the Lord showed him to give up this position through the modern-day application of the verse: “He is not a Jew who is one outwardly … But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter” (Romans 2:28-29 KJV). He realized that those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah are “circumcised” in heart and are the true Jews spiritually. As such, the present-day physical Jews do not have any claim to the land of Israel or the right to drive out others who live there, since they are no longer the inheritors of the promises of the Old Testament about this land.

Some good material can be found in Dad’s Letters such as “The Promised Land” (ML #46, Vol.1), “The Phoenix” (ML #276, Vol.2), and “The Real War Goes On” (ML #277, Vol.2); in recent articles in the END, such as END 36, page 9 and END 37, page 9; and the Statement “A Biblical Perspective on the Jewish People.” We love you!

Love, WS

Pray for the Palestinians

From the Family in the Mideast

On September 28th 2000, accompanied by hundreds of fully-armed policemen, Israeli rightwing leader Ariel Sharon went on a high-profile and highly confrontational tour of the Al-Haram Sharif complex (the Temple Mount) which contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine, Islam’s third most holy site. This provocation invoked the wrath of many Palestinians, already seething due to the intense hardships that they have had to live with since the Israeli declaration of state in 1948, and especially the annexation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. The Palestinian uprising is now commonly known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

As of late March 2001, there have been nearly 400 people killed, the vast majority of these being Palestinians under the age of 25. More than 20,000 have been wounded—many of these maimed, blinded, or otherwise debilitated for life.

Most countries in the Middle East, as well as some in Europe and North Africa, have collectively taken in thousands of those seriously wounded to be cared for in their hospitals. However, there have been reports of those wounded and bleeding being forced to wait for hours at Israeli checkpoints and land borders, with many not being permitted to go through. Gaza International Airport, the only air link that Palestine has with the rest of the world, and which is under Israeli control, has been repeatedly closed, making it impossible to evacuate more of the injured.

Aid to Palestine, both from donor countries and international organizations such as the Red Cross and the UN, has been largely blocked and turned back from the Israeli-controlled borders of the West Bank and Gaza, seriously hampering the efforts of those trying to keep the growing number of casualties to a minimum.

Other than the deaths and injuries, most Palestinians are now facing extreme economic hardships due to border closures with Israel and the restriction of trade. Previously a large percentage of Palestinians worked by day in Israel, but now are unable to do so do. A recent Associated Press article quotes a UN report which states that these closures have driven more than two million Palestinians to poverty since the start of the conflict.

Family members in the Mideast have been visiting hospitals where Palestinians wounded in the clashes are being treated. Here are their accounts.

Introduction

By Philip and Joan, Middle East

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn … to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified (Isa.61:1-2).

Everyone knows that the situation between the Palestinians and the Israelis has taken a turn for the worse in recent months and that the conflicts are getting progressively more serious. Palestinian houses are being bombed and destroyed, orchards and farms plowed under by bulldozers and tanks, while adults and children alike are wounded or killed each day.

What you hear and see from the international news media is, of course, often biased or slanted. The BBC has been more objective than some news companies as to the reality of the situation, but we’ve heard that a number of BBC correspondents were replaced because they were telling too much of the Palestinians’ side.

Since you are hearing only the Western media’s version of the situation, we would like to tell you how it really is. When you hear about Israeli soldiers and settlers being threatened in Gaza, Ramallah, or Hebron by Palestinians, you have to realize that these are all areas that the Israelis say they have returned to Palestinian rule. So the question is, what are these soldiers and settlers doing there? The Palestinians are incensed that there is continuing Israeli control of so much of their territory because of these bases and settlements.

Settlements are not tent cities or makeshift lean-tos; they are modern cities of tens of thousands of inhabitants on land that was illegally taken from the Palestinians by force in 1967. There are not just a few settlements; there are nearly 150 of them, occupied by nearly 200,000 settlers. Every few miles down the road there’s another one atop a hill. To get this land, the Israelis did not set up on idle property that no one was using, but they forced long-time resident Palestinians out of their houses, off their land, and in many cases out of their country altogether. You meet Palestinian refugees in various countries who show you the key to their former house, encased in a picture frame, and talk about the house they once lived in before the Israelis forced them out.

Please pray for the Palestinians, who are without doubt some of the most precious, receptive, and courageous people you could ever hope to meet. It helps to read or reread some of the old Letters like “The Phoenix” (ML #276) and “The Real War Goes On” (ML #277), to get the picture. These could have been written today. We feel the same emotion as we minister to these people. God bless them. Pray for them. They deserve our love and support and prayers.

It’s important to realize that since the declaration of an Israeli state and consequently the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948, millions of Palestinians have been forced out of their territory and have been scattered throughout the world. There are hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the United States, Europe, Australia, and other countries, and of course many more throughout the Middle East. According to UN figures, one in four of the globe’s refugees is Palestinian, a total of 5-6 million people now. Some have taken on the nationality of their host countries and have tried to carry on a normal life as best they can.

This is not to mention those who are still in refugee camps, of which there are many. So when talking to people in various countries of the Middle East, it’s quite common to find that they are in fact originally from Palestine and either have been pushed out in one of the wars, or in the case of some, were of Palestine extraction but born outside of Palestine and are not allowed to go back.

Over the years, families, friends, and loved ones have been separated, which is one of the reasons for the heartbreak that the current situation has caused for many who don’t even live in Palestine.

The Lord told us that He wanted us to encourage these people that our prayers were with them and that we loved them. He inspired a special message for the Palestinian people, which we have started giving out here in the Mideast. We’ve visited hospitals which have received some of the wounded, and we hear stories from them about how their houses were hit by bullets and rockets from tanks and helicopter gunships. Here you see much more of the true situation than on the Western news. We can’t help but be appalled at the extent of the damage done to these people. They are anything but guerillas or terrorists, but instead normal folks with small children who had to be jerked out of their beds and rushed to safety in the middle of the night.

Every day on TV you see once beautiful houses destroyed and, even worse, poor people with no income due to many towns being sealed off and borders closed. People’s houses have gaping holes in them, broken windows, and often no heating (and winters are cold here, with snow!). There are families with as many as 12 children. Amidst these heartbreaking circumstances, it’s beautiful to see these people voicing their faith in God, and the confidence that He will see them through. We have even had Muslims tell us they are waiting for the Endtime, when Jesus will come back and set things right.

Upon receiving copies of the messages from Jesus that we hand out to them, people open their hearts to us and sometimes say the most poetic, beautiful things to describe how much the prophecies, letters, smiles, prayers, and visitation mean to them.

Hospital visitation

By Catherine and Florence

We obtained official government permission to visit many hospitals who are caring for wounded Palestinians. These who were wounded were sent to other areas and countries to get treatment and care. Although some of these men were seriously wounded and bleeding, they were forced to wait for seven or eight hours before being allowed to leave the Occupied Territories or Israel. Of course, things like this further infuriate the Palestinians, as it seems the Israelis do all they can to make things even worse for them.

During these hospital visits we planned to present to the wounded a song in Arabic that the Lord gave for the people of Palestine, called “The Phoenix,” as well as a tract in Arabic for the Palestinians. We also took with us our Streams book, which is a collection of inspirational stories and poems in both English and Arabic, and other reading materials, as well as flowers and chocolates donated by friends to give to the patients.

At the first hospital we visited, when the two head nurses came to take us to the wards, their first question to us was, “Do you believe in our problems? Do you believe in our cause?” We answered that we do and told them how much we love their people. We explained that we’d come to try to be an encouragement to the Palestinians who had been wounded in the Intifada and that we had a song especially written for Palestine, which we would like to sing for those who had been transferred here for treatment of their wounds.

At first we were told to sing softly to avoid attracting too much attention or disturbing anyone, because in this part of the world it is not culturally acceptable to sing during times like this. But when the nurses and the public relations manager felt the Spirit of God through our songs, they made no further comments and respectfully let us minister to all those we visited.

In fact, though the public relations manager of the hospital had only intended to film us visiting one of the rooms, he continued to follow us from room to room. He was mesmerized by our songs of comfort and the visible positive effect this had on the patients. He later told us, “I don’t know if you’re aware of it or not, but I believe you’ve had a tremendously positive impact on the patients. It’s wonderful! Thank you so very much for making a difference. They won’t forget it.”

There were different reactions as we entered each room. We could see hurt, pain, anger, bitterness, or aggression on the patients’ faces, but the minute we started singing “The Phoenix,” their eyes became tender and smiles appeared. The atmosphere brightened, and the Lord’s Spirit overwhelmed the men. At the mention of Palestine in the chorus of the song, hands either clapped, or if they couldn’t do so because of their injuries, some signaled with the victory sign.

The mothers of many of the wounded have been able to accompany them to the hospital. These women would weep when we sang and comforted their injured children. It was very moving!

Individual stories of hope and courage

By Catherine and Florence

Catherine: In the first room where we sang, as we came in I felt I was about to burst into tears, but I had to be brave for the sake of the patients.

One man in the room was in very critical condition and was covered with the Palestinian flag. When Florence started singing, he lit up. It was amazing to see this man’s face changing right in front of our eyes as she sang in Arabic, “This dawn has promised a ray of peace to embrace your land, O Palestine.”

With great effort he reached behind him to pick a flower out of a vase, which I took from him to give to Florence. Then as she continued singing, he reached out again to pass her another flower. When she finished “The Phoenix,” he asked for another song, so we sang “Someone Cares.” We could hardly keep a dry eye when he feebly started singing along: “There’s Someone Who always cares for you, Someone Who sees your tears.” The Lord’s Spirit tangibly reached out to this precious man through every word of these songs and comforted his soul through and through!

As we entered another of the rooms, one man turned his head away from us as we approached him. He was obviously uncomfortable with foreigners, and was asking who we were and what we were doing there. This man was from Hebron—where people are known for their strong militant stance. We quickly prayed to the Lord for wisdom and compassion, and after humbly explaining our work here in the Middle East and asking if we could sing him a song we’d especially written for and about Palestine, he didn’t object. As we sang, he softened and warmed up and received everything from us with thanks.

As we kept moving from one room to another, our following grew from nurses to nursing students to doctors to relatives and other well-wishers. In all of the rooms we visited, there were relatives of the patients from many different backgrounds and social status, but all received our songs with such warmth and appreciation, even those who were obviously more radical and militant. Each time Florence ended the song, which has a very Arabic touch, people were awed!

The head nurses especially wanted us to comfort a 14-year-old boy who had just come in from Gaza. He was such a pitiful sight, even though in his eyes you could see he was proud to have suffered for a righteous cause. Every one of the wounded is counted as being brave and a hero. Despite their obvious heartbreak and sorrow, the mothers look with such pride at their sons who dared to put up a fight and stand up against the oppressor.

This boy had been throwing rocks when he got hit with a bullet in his chest, which went through his stomach. The doctors didn’t think he would survive the operation, but he pulled through. His mother hasn’t been permitted to get out of Gaza to come and visit him, so relatives are looking after him. He was in the Intensive Care Unit, so we couldn’t sing there, but we were able to talk with this boy for a while and comfort him.

The stories some told us were heartbreaking. One man in serious condition had not even been involved in a demonstration, but was hurt while crossing an Israeli checkpoint. When his answering didn’t please the guards, they pulled him out of his car and nearly beat him to death. When he managed to get away, they shot at him. It is a miracle that he was able to escape. He was badly bruised from the beating, besides having been shot at, and was obviously in extreme pain. Yet he continually uttered the name of God so he wouldn’t die without having His name on his lips.

All the patients we visited were giving God praise, and when they were obviously experiencing pain, you’d hear them say, “Al-Humdulillah! Al-Humdulillah!” (“Praise God! Praise God!”)

In another room we were singing to a young man (by the way, most all of the wounded are young), and his mother was sitting next to him. When Florence starting singing “The Phoenix,” his mother broke down and wept and wept. So I went over and held onto her when I was singing, and she buried her head and cried on my shoulder

Florence: I hugged and kissed her while I was singing, and after the song was finished she couldn’t stop thanking me and holding on to me. She thanked us for understanding what they’re going through and what they’re up against.

We also met a 12-year-old boy who had a very large scar on his head. He had been wounded in the head by a bullet but had miraculously survived, and was healing. He was so cheerful and appreciative of the song and the literature.

In another ward, we met a young man who at first seemed very shy and didn’t even want to look up at us, but we didn’t understand why. I noticed there was a very foul smell around his bed. One of the men who works at the hospital pulled me aside and he explained to me that this man had received 156 bullets to both of his legs! In other words, the Israelis had just opened fire on him with automatic weapons. These bullets had so completely ruined his legs, that the doctors had already had to amputate one leg. At first they had hoped they could rescue the other leg, but the foul smell was because gangrene had set in, and now they needed to amputate the second leg as well, though the young man didn’t know yet.

This was, of course, very tough to hear, and of course this poor man was very embarrassed about his condition and the smell around his bed. But we went over to him to show we loved him regardless of the humiliating circumstances, and he was so touched and opened up. When we finished singing the song, he called me over and said, “Please stay and sing all day for us. We need to hear your voice.” It was very, very touching.

Everybody was touched by the words of the songs, the tracts we gave out, as well as some of the other materials that we gave them inside one of our local newsletters.

Towards the end of our time in this hospital, a lady took me aside. She spoke very good English and said, “Would you mind visiting a man in another ward? He’s not wounded from the recent clashes, but just got out of an Israeli prison after being held for 16 years.” She said that beside it really taking an emotional toll on him, he had been very sick physically. After coming out of prison he had seen many different doctors who hadn’t been able to find out what was wrong with him, but recently it was discovered that he has a very advanced case of cancer. This man had not been told yet, as they didn’t know how he would handle it.

We found out later that the lady who had come to get us had also just been released from an Israeli prison. This lady was in much better shape, not having been in prison as long. She cared very much for her fellow inmate and had wanted to get him to a hospital.

So, when we were finished with all the wounded, we went to this man’s room. His wife was there too. He was conscious but not so coherent; in fact, we had to speak quite loudly for him to understand us. The minute we started singing, though, it was as if his spirit connected and suddenly he was very coherent. He looked straight into my eyes as he opened his, and there was a little smile on his face as he listened to the whole song. Towards the end of the song he broke down and wept like a little child. I wept too, his wife was crying, and it was an emotional time for all of us.

This is a very desperate man who has had to spend what would have been the best years of his marriage and the years his children were growing up in an Israeli prison, and on top of that to come out so physically disabled. I bent over and said a prayer for him. It was so touching and very sad and heartbreaking to visit this man.

Testimonies of faith in God and Jesus

By Catherine

Another hospital we visited was a military hospital. When we arrived they took us first to the VIP lounge, where we waited for a guide to accompany us. The security in this hospital was a lot tighter. We were able to explain to our guide what we wanted to do and he said everything was fine, except the singing. In spite of this, it was still a very touching visit.

As we followed the guide, he asked if we wanted to see Jamal Al-Durra. This is the man whose 12-year-old son died in his arms under the hail of Israeli bullets, a heart-wrenching scene filmed by a French reporter and televised repeatedly worldwide. Before we knew it, we were standing next to his bed, face to face with this father who’d suffered such extreme trauma and the loss of a son. My mind went blank and I didn’t know what to say. Suddenly the pictures of the killing of his son flashed before my eyes, and I could barely hold back the tears. I started explaining that we would like to offer our condolences, using the word for comfort in Arabic.

He looked up at me and said, “I don’t want comfort!” For a moment I thought he was going to say that he wanted revenge or would give a lecture to us foreigners, but his face didn’t really convey hate or bitterness. He shocked me when he said, “I don’t want comfort! I believe that my son Mohamed died as a witness and that he lives on!”

We talked more, and Jamal shared with us that what had kept him through this ordeal was his faith, knowing that God is in control and that whatever God brings or ordains is sweet. He actually used the word “sweet,” which you don’t often hear Moslem people say—that God’s tests are sweet. Every time we commended or encouraged him, he gave God the glory and praise, and said he knows that praise is the key to his recovery.

He said, “I was counted among the dead, but it’s only thanks to God that I survived.” We found him to be such a dear man. His eyes were very tender and you could tell that indeed it was his sincere faith that had saved him.

We found out that this man had been hit by the Israeli snipers seven times, which shows that they weren’t just trying to wound this man or his child, but they were actually trying to kill them.

In each room, by the time we had finished talking to the first patient, the others in the room had already picked up on our conversation and were very open and receptive. One man whom we told about our work with children said, “That’s the best thing you can do—to care for the children!” He just loved that. He had been hit by Israeli bullets three times. Most of the patients in this hospital were wounded from direct confrontation with the Israelis.

It was heartbreaking looking at these men. You are tempted to feel sorry for them or to burst into tears, seeing their conditions and what the bullets did to their bodies. Yet in every room we entered, these men beamed and I don’t think that they were putting on a show for us, as they didn’t know we were coming. We felt so humbled, and it was very convicting to say the least!

The bullets didn’t affect their spirits or shake their faith at all. They had such resilient spirits. They were very praiseful, counting their blessings. They were thinking less about themselves and more about their brothers in Palestine who are wounded but who can’t get care (because of it being refused in hospitals in Israel). They told us that what we were seeing was nothing compared to those who died of their wounds, most of whom were teens and children, and the ones who were hit in the head or the heart.

The hearts of these men were really with their people and they were not in any way at ease in this comfortable place. Many of them said that they were better off than others, and they compared themselves favorably with the other wounded.

One of the young boys we talked to explained that he had been burning tires and throwing rocks when he was wounded, and then one of the Israeli soldiers took the burning tire and stuck it between his legs, which severely burned this boy. The doctors are not sure if he’ll ever be able to walk again or use his legs at all.

One man showed us the fragments of the two explosive bullets that had hit him near the neck and he told us how it’s a miracle he survived. (These hollowed out “dum-dum” bullets that expand on impact are internationally banned, but it is said that the Israeli army uses them anyway.) His mother was there and she was hugging him and comforting him. She was very touched by our visit.

There was also a 15-year-old there whose arm bones were totally shattered. But he was going around among the younger patients joking with them.

After visiting the patients in this hospital, we went to see the director to ask him about returning and possibly singing for the patients the next time. He was a brigadier general in the army and a very precious man who spoke English. This general explained that from seeing the different injuries, it’s obvious the Israelis are shooting to kill or maim. He said he considers himself a strong man and that he can control his emotions, but when he saw the picture of young Mohamed Al-Durra dying and the terror on his face, as well as the despairing look on his father’s face, he hadn’t been able to control himself. He said he couldn’t understand how inhumane these people could be.

He said, “You’re supposed to fight face to face, not in the shadows, not with snipers, and not aiming at children!” The whole thing appalled him. He pointed out that there are ways that governments deal with demonstrators when they riot, such as water cannons, tear gas, baton charges, etc. “But,” he asked, “since when did that include snipers in full battle gear with telescopic lenses shooting exploding bullets from behind a secure cement bunker at a 9-year-old child throwing a rock?” The point of contrast that he was bringing out was that it was a case of civilian demonstrators with rocks against a fully armed, battle-ready army.

He said, “You know, what it really comes down to is that it is the Jews against the Gentiles. I can’t believe they are still waiting for their Messiah! I believe in Jesus—peace be upon Him—that He is the Messiah! I believe in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus and in the prophets. But the Jews deny Jesus ever even came.”

Understanding the plight of the Palestinians

By Catherine

All of these people know what the American government’s position is and what is behind these recent events. It has become the West versus the Arabs, the West hitting at the core of the Arab soul—their faith, their identity, and their very existence. We shared with these dear ones that one of our main messages has been to show sympathy and support to the Palestinians, and that we are aware of what’s happening.

Each one of them begged us to convey a message to the world about their plight and what we’ve seen—to convey the truth, since the Western media doesn’t report fairly on them. They’re especially hurt by the accusations that they’re putting their children on the front line, which they say is totally ridiculous, as who would ever bring their children to a battle?

After visiting these Palestinians who were wounded, I was reflecting back to my student days. As a young national of a Middle Eastern country, I was quite involved in the Palestinian cause. Sometimes I’d just feel so angry that there was no way out, that God didn’t hear, that these people would always be put down. Looking back now I thank God that I found faith in Jesus and His answers, because He took away all that despair and instead filled my heart with hope. Now all I want to do is pass that hope on to those who suffer and who are looking for the same answers I once looked for.

We’d like to ask for your continued prayers for the situation in Palestine. People are killed every day, hundreds are being wounded, and the Israelis are blockading the towns in the West Bank and Gaza even more. There is no end in sight, and so we’d like to ask for your prayers and for the Lord’s mercy and intervention.

Editor’s note: We, the Family, are sympathetic towards the suffering of the Palestinian people, as it is consistent with our mission to aid and comfort those who are oppressed. However, we do not participate in physical conflicts, nor do we take up arms. For more on the Family’s non-violent position, please see our official Statement, entitled, “Our Stance Against Physical Violence.”